The Wicked + The Divine #29 = Great Comics

This is a book I’ve been reading since it debuted. It’s a book that started out strong and was consistently in my top five for years, but started to drag and grow inconsistent over the last year or so. Issue #29 is a return to form. Certainly, having Jamie McKelvie on art helps, but in a series that will spend issues on the inner workings of characters, this issue delivered impactful moments and advanced a story that was threatening to grow stale.

Gillen’s gift is his ability to craft authentic youthful voices that feel modern and relevant, and he doesn’t disappoint here. Everyone feels like real young people. They feel like people I’ve met. The aggressive hipness can get a bit tiring, but in a medium plagued by the mishandling of young voices, authenticity is a rare and appreciated trait that Gillen has in spades.

The training session was great. Minerva has been one of the most interesting characters, and I’m happy whenever she gets “screen time.”

“Who are we kidding? She could slaughter us all.” Brilliant. Lines like this are why I read W+D.

The idea of “underground gods” is fantastic. If the cast splits along those lines, I dig it. It widens the scope of the story and turns the premise of the series on it’s head.

The “destroyer slut” page is masterful and cuts deep. No wasted words or ink. Dionysus is the only one who doesn’t look back at Persephone when Morrigan commands her to leave. Great character stuff. Also the team dynamics, cut with world ending consequence, grows stronger. Every issue feels more and more like 21st century X-Men.

Rihanna/Sakhmet is one of my favorite characters. She’s written so consistently. She’s the only character I really trust in this deicidal whodunit, and remains the comic book equivalent to a scene stealing actress.

This issue drops you right into the action, but gives you more than enough to grasp onto. Great writing, accompanied by solid art earns it 4 and a half out of five stars.